


Let the tide take me home

by strikedawn



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Little Mermaid AU, M/M, Mermaid Mikleo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-16 04:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20194153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strikedawn/pseuds/strikedawn
Summary: For a moment, Sorey thought of returning Mikleo to the water. It was what always worked, after all, every time that Mikleo spent a little too long on their rock reading or talking to Sorey and his undine skin started to feel too tight around him, too hot. But Mikleo was already in the water, Sorey realized. He had been washed to shore, like a drifting piece of wood: his head and torso on the jagged rocks until Sorey had pulled him close, but his legs still were being swallowed by each new wave—His legs.Not his tail.Mikleo had humanlegs.





	Let the tide take me home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Owlily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlily/gifts).

> Request from Owlily! Fran requested a piece of her Little Mermaid AU!! It's a super sweet AU and I feel honored to be allowed to write for it!!
> 
> Hope you guys like it!!

They said that all roads in the kingdom of Hyland lead to the ocean.

But two months after his arrival to the home of princess Alisha, Sorey was sad to realize that not all legends were true.

In fact, Alisha’s castle was so far away from the ocean that there was no tower high enough from where to see the shoreline. At times, that distance was a blessing; Sorey could still taste the salty waters at the back of his throat as he dreamed of the storm that had brought his ship down, could still feel the burning in his lungs as his brain begged for oxygen, and his body fought to find the shore.

Other times, however, Sorey missed the ocean like someone might miss a limb. For someone who had grown up with his nose in a book and his feet buried in the sand, the ocean was a constant. A safe place. A haven away from the sorrows of war.

The fact that Sorey’s best friend was a creature of its depths played an important role as well.

So Sorey made it a point to sneak out of Princess Alisha’s castle whenever it was possible. It wasn’t like he was a prisoner of Hyland anyway, even if he _was_ a prince of Rolance. With the peace negotiations hitting a wall every other day, Sorey found himself with more free time in his hands than he would have liked.

The diplomats of Rolance and Hyland had a lot of bravado, and too little patience. Sometimes it was better to step away and let them calm down on their own, before pushing the matter of peace once again.

That was exactly the reason why Sorey found himself walking the rocky shores of Aroundight beach on a cloudy day, his horse safely waiting for him at the top of a nearby cliff as it grazed whatever it could find in the dry coastline. It was a path Sorey knew by heart, after more than a few visits; the terrain was precipitous, but Sorey’s feet had been sure on his way down, and even surer as he walked over the sand, letting the ocean foam wash the soles of his feet.

It wasn’t like the coasts of Rolance, with its soft, pink sand and calm waters. Here, Aroundight beach was made out of round stones and rocks, out of black sand and jagged pieces of sea crystal. The rough waves ate away the mountainsides, until the cliffs became even steeper than the night before, leaving its cutting debris behind when the moon set and the sun started to rise.

Sorey could have tried to find better beaches; he was sure Hyland had to have them. But after carefully studying the map of Glenwood that hung on the castle’s throne room, Sorey knew one thing for sure: Aroundight beach was directly connected to Tintagel beach by the Southern Ocean.

If Mikleo ever forgave him enough to come to visit him, this would be the place he would choose.

Walking deeper into the waters — the waves were lapping at his knees now, right at the hem of his rolled-up pants —, Sorey inhaled sharply the salty scent that always made him feel at home, feeling a pang of regret right in his heartstrings. When it had been decided that the peace negotiations would be held in Hyland, Mikleo had begged Sorey to bring him along, _anyhow_. He had even toyed with the idea of living in a bathtub for a while, if that allowed him to keep an eye on Sorey while he was in Hyland.

Both of them knew it was impossible, even as Mikleo kept throwing options at Sorey with an angry frown, gills flaring softly at the sides of his neck.

Undines didn’t belong inland, after all.

No matter how much both Sorey and Mikleo resented that fact.

Then, three days after Sorey had told Mikleo there was nothing he could do, Sorey had parted to Hyland by ship.

But they hadn’t gotten far. A storm clashed against the hull of the Royal vessel, tearing it apart with lightning and rain as if it were nothing but wet paper. Despite the expertise of the ship-crew, there was nothing to be done, and Sorey sunk underwater with the rest as any hope for peace between the kingdoms dissolved into foam and Sorey’s lungs burned with the need of breath—

He should have known Mikleo would follow. Even if he wouldn’t be able to go beyond the shore, even if he would miss everything crucial about Sorey’s journey to Rolance, Mikleo had been set to follow along, the same way Sorey would have if their roles had been reversed. It was only because Mikleo had followed that Sorey had survived that night, the only one of his crew, a small miracle that had nothing to do with the power of the gods, and everything to do with the desperation of an undine.

So Mikleo had pulled Sorey to the surface, and had swum among the wreckage of the ship and the reminder of the storm, until he had been able to leave Sorey within the reach of a pirate ship that had set course to Rolance.

At least, that’s what Sorey imagined.

Because two months after Sorey’s arrival to Rolance, Sorey still hadn’t had the opportunity to ask Mikleo.

Another wave hit Sorey, and he sucked in a breath as the cold water brushed against his thighs. It would be a pain to ride back to the castle with soaked pants, but this was worth it. He shook all thoughts of loneliness from his mind and concentrated on Mikleo alone, on the way the Rolance sun made rainbows dance on the scales of his tail, the way his eyes softened every time Sorey smiled brightly at him.

And, with that in mind, Sorey moved the flute to his lips and began to play.

The gentle first notes of the Shepherd’s song were almost drowned by the cry of the ocean, but Sorey wasn’t deterred. For years, that particular song was all the invitation Mikleo needed to pop up among the waves and sit on an already familiar rock, ready for the day’s adventure. His hair always seemed to be formed by the very sea foam that curled around Sorey’s feet whenever he played it, and now, in Hyland, Sorey imagined the rocky waves parting to let Mikleo through, violet eyes probably narrowed in annoyance at the time it had been since they last had seen each other.

Sorey had so much to tell him.

_Come on, Mikleo…_

The song finished with no sight of Mikleo, and Sorey started playing again.

And again.

And again.

It wasn’t until an embarrassing amount of replays later that Sorey gave up.

“Aaaaaaah, come on, I’m sorry!” He shouted at the ocean, flute firmly gripped in his hand. “You know I wanted you here more than anyone!”

There was no reply, except that of the water coming to die against the rocks. Sorey stood among the waves as the sun started to set, hoping to see that familiar head, hear that familiar voice. But when none of those things happened, Sorey went back to the shore and let himself fall on the rocks, no longer caring about how wet his pants got. Every day that went by without news from Mikleo just made Sorey feel worse and worse.

If something had happened to Mikleo…

The only warning Sorey got was a starling sound, before something smacked Sorey on the cheek like a flutter of wings, making him recoil hard enough for him to end up sprawled on the shore.

And then, landing where Sorey had been sitting until now, a white parrot with scattered green and red feathers started to scream at him like Sorey had committed the worst offense.

“W-what?!” Sorey asked, moving only when the sand under his palms started to move. “Zaveid! What is it?”

Zaveid parrot jumped, battling its wings.

“Stop dreaming and get moving!” Zaveid croaked. For a second, it almost looked like Zaveid was pointing at somewhere beyond the rocks, but that could have just been part of Zaveid’s weird little dance. The bird wasn’t known for being too well-balanced, anyway.

“I… are you hurt? Do you need me to—OUCH!”

A bead of blood bloomed there where Zaveid had pecked Sorey, right where his thumb met the palm of his hand. Sorey groaned and moved his hand to suck on the wound. “Wha dee you do tha?!”

Without a second to waste, the parrot took flight and disappeared beyond the rocks, as if it had been nothing but a figment of Sorey’s imagination. He wasn’t; he had lived for a week on the Sparrowfeather’s ship, after all, and he had gotten to know Rose’s —the captain’s—eccentric bird more than Sorey would have liked. But still Sorey blinked after it, feeling his hand sting as he dropped it into the saltwater.

“Okay…?” He muttered, getting up to his feet. He had a second of panic where he couldn’t find his flute, but another wave brought it back to his feet, and Sorey rescued it before more harm could come to either of them.

Or so he thought. Because the moment he looked up Zaveid was back, watching him with narrowed eyes from the top of the nearest rock.

The way Zaveid snapped its beak at him and flew away once again sent a very clear message to Sorey:

_Follow me, or else._

Zaveid was fast, but so was Sorey. Flute safely held on the waistband of his pants, Sorey ran after the parrot, absolutely confused but feeling the thrill of adventure starting to brew low in his belly for the first time in two months. Negotiating a war’s end wasn’t the kind of excitement Sorey preferred; it was this, the fairytale type of adventure, that Sorey and Mikleo had always sought after.

But maybe that wasn’t it this time, either.

Because instead of to a hidden treasure, or to a cave ready to be explored, the parrot took Sorey to a body washed to shore.

—No, not a body, Sorey realized after a heart-stopping second. A person. Despite the soft blue tint on this person’s naked skin, and the algae that clung to their sinewy limbs, the person was alive. Sorey could see them shivering from the cold even through the distance, curled up shoulders rising up and down with their ragged breath.

But what made Sorey’s heart constrict—what made him take a sharp inhale and start running over the rough sand were none of those things.

It was the person’s familiar wet mop of aquamarine hair, a stark contrast against the dark sand.

“Mikleo!!”

Sorey himself was shaking by the time he reached the body, quickly gathering it in his arms as he pressed it close to his chest. And it _was_ Mikleo; his eyes were closed, but Sorey would have recognized those factions everywhere, that hair that obscured his front and clung to his cheeks.

He was so cold… Not the familiar coldness of an undine’s skin, no, but something that spoke of warmth loss, of a slow heartbeat, of someone a second closer to—

“Mikleo—“ Sorey started, voice shaking almost as bad as his hands did when he started to rub warmth on Mikleo’s limp arms. “Mikleo, can you hear me? Please open your eyes—“

For a moment, Sorey thought of returning Mikleo to the water. It was what always worked, after all, every time that Mikleo spent a little too long on their rock reading or talking to Sorey and his undine skin started to feel too tight around him, too hot. But Mikleo was already in the water, Sorey realized. He had been washed to shore, like a drifting piece of wood: his head and torso on the jagged rocks until Sorey had pulled him close, but his legs still were being swallowed by each new wave—

His legs.

Not his tail.

Mikleo had human _legs_.

“What on—?”

Mikleo shook in Sorey’s arms, and suddenly he was coughing up enough water to drown a sailor. Sorey quickly moved Mikleo forward so it was easier for him to breathe, and Mikleo continued coughing for what felt like minutes. Sorey softly patted him on the back and rubbed warmth into him once again as he struggled to find the right words.

_I haven’t seen you in two months._

_You have legs._

_You almost drowned._

_Mikleo, what did you do!?_

Before Sorey could make up his mind, Mikleo fell back again into his arms, blinking slowly at the light filtering through the clouds. He looked confused, huddling closer to Sorey’s warmth instinctively at the same time he tried to move away from Sorey’s strong grip. It was a sight that pierced Sorey’s chest.

He had never seen Mikleo look so helpless before.

“It’s okay, Mikleo,” Sorey said softly, bringing Mikleo closer with all the care in the world. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now!”

Mikleo stilled. His eyes snapped open, familiar violet setting some of Sorey’s worries at ease as Mikleo drank up the sight of Sorey by his side. He mouthed Sorey’s name, only a breath escaping from his lips— and then his eyes opened like saucers as he flung himself at Sorey with all the strength he had left, arms tight around Sorey’s neck.

Sorey returned the hug gladly, squeezing Mikleo’s cold body against his.

“What happened to you!?” Sorey asked as he buried his face on Mikleo’s bare shoulder. “I haven’t seen you nor heard from you in two months and suddenly you appear here— and, and it almost looks like you drowned, and—“

Mikleo made to move back and Sorey let him, meeting Mikleo’s questioning gaze with one of his own. Again, Mikleo mouthed Sorey’s name, tilting his head to the side as if adding a question to it.

Sorey’s expression turned disbelieving. “I mean, look at yourself!” Sorey exclaimed, using the arm that wasn’t supporting Mikleo’s back to point at the rest of his body. “You have _legs_, Mikleo!”

It was as if Mikleo had just realized he had legs instead of an iridescent fishtail. And maybe he had; under Sorey’s astonished eyes, Mikleo moved to splay his fingers (prune and bluish from the water like Sorey had never seen them before) over his thighs, his knees, and all the way down to his very toes. He was expressionless at first, almost as if he couldn’t believe it—and then a slow grin unfurled over his lips, his tired eyes lighting up as he wiggled his toes. He turned to look at Sorey to babble excitedly about this great discovery, grin still in place.

Just—he did so without a single sound.

“…Mikleo?” Sorey asked in a low murmur, worry tugging at his heartstrings once again when nothing except faint gusts of breath came out of Mikleo’s mouth. “What’s wrong with your voice?”

Mikleo stopped, mouth hanging open. Slowly, he lifted a hand and curled his fingers softly around his throat, as if trying to feel for a sound that didn’t come. When he made to speak again but only silence happened, Mikleo’s expression crumbled into a sad one, eyes drifting away from Sorey to the sand below.

“Hey…” Sorey let his hand move back to curl around Mikleo’s arm, rubbing more warmth into him. He was doing very little; goosebumps were blooming all along Mikleo’s skin. “Mikleo, where is your tail? What did you do?”

At that, Mikleo’s expression set into a decided one. He turned to look at Sorey once again, mouthing something too fast for Sorey to read the shape of it on his mouth. But there was no need; Mikleo’s eyes spoke much more, and Sorey felt a little bit reassured at being able to understand Mikleo even when he couldn’t hear his voice.

_I did what I had to do_ , his eyes seemed to say.

Sorey sighed. “But are you okay? Does it hurt?”

Mikleo shook his head no.

“Okay… That’s a relief! I want to know what happened, but we need to get you somewhere warm, you’re shivering— can you walk?”

Another shake of his head, sadder than the one before. Mikleo seemed amazed by the sight of his own legs, so there was a high possibility that they were a new acquisition. Sorey nodded; Mikleo probably hadn’t had the time to test out his new legs.

“That’s alright, I’ll carry you!” Sorey replied easily. “Will you be okay if I move you from the water?”

Again, Mikleo replied with a mute movement of his head. At his nod, Sorey pulled himself away from Mikleo long enough to take off his outer shirt — something warm and heavy Alisha had made for him, but too big on Mikleo’s slender form as Sorey pushed it over Mikleo’s head. It sat awkwardly over Mikleo’s shoulders, but it did the desired effect: a soft, warm blush was covering Mikleo’s cheeks by the time Sorey’s shirt was covering most of Mikleo’s torso.

“I’m sure it’s weird for you to be this covered, but bear with it for a while, okay?” Sorey started. Then it was his time to blush has his eyes moved beyond the hem of the shirt and onto the creamy skin of Mikleo’s naked thighs. “I, uh— Sorry I don’t have anything to cover you more, but the shirt will do for now!”

Mikleo didn’t seem to mind. He was still looking at his own legs, as if marveling at the sight of them. Sorey smiled even if he could still taste his own worry at the back of his throat.

“Let’s get you up, shall we?” Sorey said, and when Mikleo sent him a glare, Sorey added: “I’m not patronizing you! I’m just worried… I haven’t seen you in two months, and suddenly you come out of nowhere like _this_—!”

At that, Mikleo’s glare relaxed into something softer. He lifted a hand, dry now that he had been out of the water long enough, and let it rest against Sorey’s cheek. Sorey leaned into the touch, finding it as familiar and comforting as the violet of Mikleo’s eyes.

Mikleo mouthed something again, too fast for Sorey to read, but Sorey heard it just the same.

_I’m sorry to have worried you._

“Don’t apologize! You’re okay now, and that’s all that matters!”

Even as he said so, Sorey felt a flash of worry set deep into his chest. What would have happened if Sorey hadn’t found Mikleo today, if he hadn’t gone to the beach at all? How would have Mikleo survived in the world of humans, with a new set of limbs and no way to communicate or ask for help?

Would have he survived at all—?

Sorey shuddered, and Mikleo pinched his cheek softly to make Sorey look back at him. There was a worry in Mikleo’s eyes, another question, but Sorey shook his head quickly and dedicated a sweet smile.

There was no need to worry about the what-ifs.

Mikleo was there now, and that was all that mattered.

“Let’s get you back to the castle!” Sorey said, sounding genuinely excited. “Gods, I— I have so much to tell you! So much to show you! Hyland is just as amazing as we imagined and— and the history of the castle alone! You’re gonna love it, Mikleo!”

Mikleo’s answering smile was everything Sorey had hoped to see. Sorey’s heart skipped a beat, no longer from fear or worry, but due to something warm and familiar that made him hug Mikleo just a bit tighter. Then Mikleo shivered, and Sorey rearranged the priorities in his head at the speed of light.

Get Mikleo warm now. Cuddling later.

“Okay, Mikleo—“ Sorey started to say as he turned around, crouching before Mikleo with his back open towards him. “Hop up!”

There was a long moment of silence. Sorey blinked at the empty beach, wondering of maybe Mikleo was having trouble getting up—

And then a body slammed itself against Sorey’s back, making them both topple over the sand.

“Ouch—Mikleo! Why did you do that!”

Above him, Mikleo looked almost enraged, throwing accusatory glares at Sorey as his cheeks went a fiery red. He was mouthing rapidly — _angrily_— at Sorey as he supported himself with strong arms over Sorey’s chest. But his legs rested awkwardly between Sorey’s own, as if unsure of how to move them.

That was when it clicked, and Sorey felt so absurd that he couldn’t help but start laughing, hands clutching the fabric of his own shirt over Mikleo’s sides.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Sorey exclaimed when Mikleo started hitting him with one hand. “I guess a piggyback ride isn’t the best when the other person isn’t used to his legs, right?”

Mikleo huffed. _You could have thought of that sooner_, his pout seemed to say.

“Sorry, sorry,” Sorey repeated, calmer this time. He pushed Mikleo back to sit next to him once again, smiling softly until Mikleo rolled his eyes. “Let’s just go with the usual, okay?”

Before Mikleo could react, Sorey sneaked one arm behind Mikleo’s back, the other behind his legs, and pushed himself up with a swift motion, only stumbling a little as the sand shifted beneath their combined weight. Mikleo gasped soundlessly, holding on to Sorey’s inner shirt as if his life depended on it, and Sorey couldn’t help but laugh again at his startled expression.

“This is easier now!” Sorey exclaimed as he started his way up the cliff, where his horse waited. “You having knees and all! Drier too!”

Mikleo huffed again, but Sorey could see he agreed. He settled easily into Sorey’s arms as Sorey carried him up, head resting on Sorey’s shoulder.

It was such a familiar feeling, Mikleo being pressed so close to him like this. But it was alien at the same time, somehow—the weight of Mikleo in his arms was different, the dryness of his skin a new thing to get used to. And then there was the lack of Mikleo’s voice, a sound that had accompanied Sorey since childhood, and one Sorey had been missing for two months straight.

He pressed Mikleo closer to his chest and Mikleo looked up, a curious glint in his eyes.

“Are you sure you’re okay like this?” Sorey asked. They both knew he wasn’t talking about the princess carry.

Mikleo nodded without hesitation. And once again, it was easy for Sorey to read what Mikleo was thinking, as easily as if Mikleo had voiced it out.

_I’m where I want to be._

Sorey smiled. When he tightened his grip around Mikleo just a bit more, it had a whole different meaning than before.

“Then… Welcome to the human world, Mikleo. I’m very, very happy to have you here with me!”

* * *

It turned out, Sorey wasn’t the only one overjoyed to have Mikleo join Hyland castle.

“So you have known Sorey your whole life?” Alisha asked excitedly, leaning closer to Mikleo without even realizing it. And, once Mikleo nodded slowly, Rose added in: “Has he always been so naive?”

“Hey!” Sorey complained, feeling the need to defend himself. “I’m not naive!”

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at him. The first pair was teasing. The second one was apologetic.

The third one, the most familiar of all of those eyes, said: _Yes you are_.

“Mikleooooo,” Sorey bemoaned, falling forward to press his forehead against Mikleo’s lap. It was a foreign feeling, the fact that his skin was meeting expensive fabric instead of cool scales, but the hand that immediately went to play with his hair was as familiar as the act of breathing. “You’re so mean.”

“Can you really understand everything he’s saying?” Rose asked, and Sorey turned to see a glint on Rose’s eyes that sent a shiver down Sorey’s spine. “Even though he doesn’t have a voice?”

“Yeah!” Sorey replied excitedly, because it was true. There were times when he failed, more so when Mikleo tried to say something he wanted instead of a reply to something Sorey had said first, but overall, Sorey was pretty good at reading Mikleo.

And he was very proud of that fact, too.

“Okay, let’s test it out! Mikleo, think of a number from one to ten thousand—“

“I think we should let Mikleo rest, Rose,” Alisha quickly intervened, sending Mikleo an apologetic smile on Rose’s behalf. Mikleo simply smiled; he seemed endlessly amused by the dynamic of Princess Alisha and her pirate partner. “I can’t even start to imagine how awful it must have been to be on his own since the shipwreck…”

Alisha’s real concern made Sorey look down and away. While he had come to trust in Alisha and Rose as his dear friends, both Mikleo and himself had decided, even before arriving at the castle, that Mikleo’s origins as an undine had to be kept a secret. Sorey might have been safe in Hyland while the negotiations went on, but he knew Hyland wasn’t a place to go throwing your secrets carelessly into the wind.

Sorey would have to be even more careful from now on, but if it was for Mikleo, he would do anything.

So they had invented the story of Mikleo being a lucky survivor from Sorey’s ship. It hadn’t taken much for the girls to believe them; Mikleo’s clear state of disarray, the way he could barely keep himself on his feet, and Sorey’s doting actions on his friend had made Alisha open the doors of her castle to Mikleo immediately. Rose could still be spotted looking warily at Mikleo, but it wasn’t anything that bothered Sorey.

He knew he could trust Rose.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Rose agreed, even if Sorey could see she was still eager to try ‘the odd duo’s mental abilities’, as she had already called them once before. “We’ll leave it for tomorrow then!”

“Actually, we have dance lessons starting tomorrow at ten,” Alisha added, and this time her contrite look was solely for Sorey. “They want us to open the Lakehaven ball, and Maltran thinks we should give Bartlow as little excuses to put us in shame as possible.”

That was true. Bartlow was one of the chancellors that were making the peace negotiations difficult. His need to overthrow any idea either Sorey or Alisha came up with seemed to be leaning towards the personal side of things. And Lakehaven ball, a Hyland tradition to which Sorey had been cordially invited to as a distinguished guest, was more like a decisive test for them than a simple party.

The Council’s eyes would be on them that night, waiting for the minimal mistake. Maltran wasn’t crazy for putting them on dancing lessons.

Sorey wouldn’t be surprised if there would end up being more lessons coming, before the ball.

“Maybe Mikleo could join us,” Alisha said with a sweet smile, trying without a doubt to cheer Sorey up. “A little bit of dancing could help him recover the strength of his legs.”

Sorey felt excited at that. Dancing was something Sorey had always found fun, but also something he had never been able to do with Mikleo before. He could ask the band to play the Shepherd’s song even, and maybe spin Mikleo around the room as he held him close—

“What do you think?” Sorey asked Mikleo with shiny eyes, doing nothing to mask the excitement in his voice.

Mikleo, reclined back on as many fluffy pillows as the castle’s staff had been able to provide in such sort notice, seemed amused. He nodded, a soft _of course_ in the violet of his eyes, and Sorey cheered happily.

“That’s settled then! Now, Rose, we should let them rest.”

“Aw come on, just one more mental trick—“

“Dinner will be ready soon! I’ll have the staff bring you and Mikleo’s dinner here, if you want.”

Sorey smiled gratefully at her. “Yes, please!”

“Wait,” Rose said, turning right at the door. Her eyes were narrowed now, looking at Mikleo so intently that Sorey almost felt the need to step between them. Then Rose spoke again, and Sorey wished he had actually shielded Mikleo from view: “Do I know you?”

Sorey felt a shiver down his spine. It wouldn’t be farfetched for Rose to have seen Mikleo in one of her journeys at sea. Or she could have even met Mikleo the night of the shipwreck, one way or another.

Looking through the corner of his eye, Sorey shared a look with Mikleo, who simply shrugged.

Guess that would be a mystery to solve another time.

“He can’t say,” Sorey spoke for Mikleo, the only thing he could say without lying to Rose. Rose looked at Mikleo for a moment longer, then to Sorey, and just when Sorey thought she would add something else, Alisha took her hand gently and started to pull her towards the hallway.

“Like I said,” Alisha interjected, sounding amused. “Rest!”

Some goodbyes later, both girls left after closing the door softly behind them, leaving the room in comfortable silence. The open balcony at the other side of the room let gentle wind sweep over the room, messing with Mikleo’s dry hair. Sorey observed him for a long while, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Despite everything, it wasn’t hard for Sorey to imagine Mikleo belonging in the human world, someday.

“Are you cold?” Sorey asked, already halfway out of his chair by the bed. “Should I close the window?”

Mikleo nodded, following Sorey with his eyes as Sorey moved to the balcony. Sorey could feel his stare at the back of his neck, reassuring but heavy.

The doors closed with a soft click, and Sorey turned with a question already at the tip of his tongue. “What— ?”

A soft gasp killed anything Sorey could have said. Mikleo was moving out of the bed with slow but sure movements, legs sliding off the bed and onto the floor even before Sorey had finished turning.

“Wait—!”

There was no need. Like a baby fawn, Mikleo was unstable on his feet but still managing on his own, knees trembling as he got used to his own weight. Moving on land had to be so much different than moving through water, Sorey knew, and a wave of pride surged through him when Mikleo managed to stand upright, a self-sufficient smile playing on his lips.

But then Mikleo went to take another step forward, changing his weight to one foot to the other, and he stumbled.

Sorey was there before his knees could even graze the expensive carpet on the floor.

“You did it, Mikleo!” Sorey said even as he held Mikleo closer. “You walked!”

Mikleo seemed a bit annoyed at the fact that he hadn’t been able to walk more than a few steps, but Sorey could see a little bit of pride still shinning in his eyes.

_Of course I did._

“You’ll get the hang of it in no time! And then we can go exploring the castle, and horse riding, and we can explore Hyland, and—!”

Mikleo lifted an eyebrow at him. _Don’t you have a war to stop?_

A soft blush covered Sorey’s cheeks as he laughed lowly. “Well, yes—! But there’s time for everything, right?”

Mikleo thought about it for a second, then nodded. A moment later, he moved to stand, Sorey’s hands hovering close but letting Mikleo do most of the work, as he knew Mikleo wanted him to do.

When they both stood, face to face in the silent room, their smiles were both prideful and sweet.

“I’m so happy you’re here, Mikleo,” Sorey admitted, not looking away from his companion. Mikleo blushed, but fought to keep his eyes on Sorey as well. “I am! I… Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that you’re an undine… But I always wanted—well. To have you always by my side.”

Mikleo’s blush deepened, but he said nothing. In the stillness that followed, Sorey tried to discern what Mikleo was thinking, but it was difficult. He didn’t seem uncomfortable or upset, beyond the strain that caused him standing on his own for so long, but the fiery blush on his cheeks meant something Sorey couldn't really translate for sure.

It didn’t matter much; a moment later, Sorey realized something that made a bubbly laugh flow through his lips, making Mikleo’s head snap up towards him.

“You’re smaller than I imagined you would be!” Sorey exclaimed, making a gesture with his hand to indicate the height difference between the tops of their heads.

In hindsight, he should have expected Mikleo’s blow; a well-deserved punch right on his shoulder.

“Ahaha, I’m sorry! I just always imagined we’d be the same height, but you’re actually so tiny—! Ouch, ouch, alright, alright! You’re not tiny at all!”

Satisfied, Mikleo lowered his attacking hand. He looked soft and sleepy in the late evening light, with his hair dry and curling right at the tips, with Sorey’s shirt that he hadn’t taken off yet, and the pants Alisha had provided that did actually fit him correctly. Sorey couldn’t handle it anymore: he let his arms curl around Mikleo, letting Mikleo know with a smile that it had nothing to do with helping him stand. Sorey just wanted to be close and Mikleo allowed it, probably wanting the same thing.

The smile that curled Sorey’s mouth upwards was blinding when he spoke again.

“Jokes aside…” he started softly, tilting his head forward so his forehead was almost pressed against Mikleo’s fringe. “I don’t know what you did, or how long it will last, but I’m really happy you’re here, Mikleo. So thank—“

A thin finger fell on Sorey’s lips, silencing him. Mikleo let his finger rest there as he pulled back to look at Sorey in the eyes, a smile of his own tugging at the corner of his mouth.

_You don’t have to thank me_ , Mikleo seemed to be saying.

Sorey smiled again. Or maybe he hadn’t stopped smiling since he had returned from the beach with Mikleo at his side. “I’m still happy you’re here, though! The happiest I’ve been since I left Rolance.”

Mikleo’s eyes opened wide at that, and then relaxed. He seemed to hesitate, glancing away just for a second, before returning to look at Sorey with an emotion so intense, Sorey’s heart skipped a beat just to start beating wildly in his chest. Like the gallop of the fastest horse Sorey had ever ridden.

And still, Sorey couldn’t have put words to whatever Mikleo was trying to tell him with that look.

Everything that Sorey seemed to be able to come up didn’t seem worthy of such an emotion. “W-what is it?” He ended up asking, hands trembling the tiniest bit against Mikleo’s sides.

Mikleo’s look became even more intent, Mikleo’s own hands rising to clutch at Sorey’s thin shirt. He was leaning heavily on Sorey now, but he didn’t same to mind, nor care; Mikleo didn’t look away from Sorey for a single moment, trying to convey the words he couldn’t voice anymore.

Words that Sorey _still_ couldn’t seem to be able to decipher. “I…”

Mikleo was growing impatient. He leaned forward on his tiptoes, far enough to collide against Sorey’s chest. Sorey caught him easily, but the inexistent distance between them was setting his heart into overdrive. He wanted to hold Mikleo close, bury his face on the skin of his neck, but he also didn't want to miss Mikleo’s look.

It made him feel warm to his very core, like nothing else ever could.

Or so he thought. Because when Mikleo finally snapped, and he used his grip on Sorey’s shirt to dissolve the last of the distance between them into a soft gasp, Sorey discovered that there was, in fact, something else that could make him feel like the warmth in his heart was going to overflow.

Because kissing Mikleo was like flying too close to the sun, and then loving every moment of the fall.

There was not a moment of hesitation before Sorey was kissing Mikleo back, but he did so softly, sweetly, as if he was ready to dedicate the rest of his life to kissing Mikleo as he deserved. Mikleo gasped at the response, more a sharp gust of breath against Sorey’s mouth than a real sound, and then he was kissing Sorey again as if he was trying to spill the emotion he had been showing Sorey before into his very tongue, so there was no way on earth or ocean that Sorey would miss its meaning, nor the importance of it.

And it seemed to be working. Because when Sorey moved back a few moments later, breathing labored but smile the sweetest it had ever been, Sorey found he had understood what Mikleo had meant all the while, and that he had a reply ready for him.

“I love you too, Mikleo,” Sorey whispered, just before delivering his words against Mikleo’s mouth once again.

And for a long moment, there was nothing for them but that kind, familiar, never-ending love. No fear of the war, no doubts about the magic of the ocean.

Just two souls made to be together finding each other again.


End file.
